Article on laser-induced fluorescence and mass spectrometric studies of the Cu + HCl reaction over a wide temperature range and the formation of HCuCl.

Photocopy of an article written for Westbank Picayune by Dona Price. The article goes into the addition of a grocery store to the Westbank area and what a big change that was to the community, considering that the closest grocery store that they had was miles away.

The Savannah River Site (SRS) has upgraded its aqueous emergency response capability to model the transport of pollutants released from SRS facilities during normal operation or accidents through onsite streams to the Savannah River. The transport and dispersion modules from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) WASP5 model were incorporated into the SRS emergency response system, called the Weather Information and Display (WIND) System. WASP5 is a water quality analysis program that simulates surface water pollutant transport, using a finite difference method to solve the advective transport equation. Observed tritium concentrations in the SRS streams and the Savannah River from an accidental release from K-Reactor, one of the SRS nuclear material production reactors, were used to benchmark the new model. Although all SRS reactors have since been deactivated, this release of tritiated water occurred between December 22 and 25, 1991, through the K-Reactor secondary cooling water discharge. Analyses of reactor discharge water suggested the leak began sometime during December 22. The leak was positively identified and isolated on December 25. Following the release, tritium concentrations were tracked and measured as the tritiated water flowed from the K-Area outfall into Indian Grave Branch and pen Branch, through the Savannah River swamp, …

This paper presents aspects of DOE`s demonstration of compliance with the EPA regulation of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). The WIPP, a geologic repository for transuranic (TRU) waste, is located 2150 feet below the ground surface in a bedded salt formation about 20 miles east of Carlsbad, NM. Performance of the WIPP as a repository requires that releases to the accessible environment not exceed the limits of the regulation 40 CFR Part 191(1) either when the WIPP is undisturbed, or if there is intrusion into the repository by drilling. In 1996, the EPA promulgated 40 CFR Part 194(2): the implementing regulation for 40 CFR Part 191. The regulatory subsection addressed here, 40 CFR 194.24(b), directs the DOE to identify and analyze the components and characteristics of the TRU waste that can impact performance of the WIPP repository, and thereby possibly impact waste containment. DOE must also analyze those waste characteristics and components that will not affect repository performance.

In situ inspections were performed on tarp-covered 55-gallon drums of transuranic (TRU) waste stored underground at the Hanford Site. These inspections were part of a task to characterize TRU drums for extent of corrosion degradation and uncertainty in TRU designation (inaccuracy in earlier assay determinations may have led to drums that actually were low-level waste to be termed TRU), and to attempt to correlate accuracy of existing records with actual drum contents. Two separate storage trench sites were investigated; a total of 90 drums were inspected with ultrasonic techniques and 104 additional drums were visually inspected. A high-humidity environment in the underground storage trenches had been reported in earlier investigations and was expected to result in substantial corrosion degradation. However, corrosion was much less than expected. Only a small percentage of drums had significant corrosion (with one breach) and the maximum rate was estimated at 0.051 mm/yr (2 mils/yr). The corrosion time of underground exposure was 14 to 15 years. These inspection results should be applicable to other similar environments (this applicability should be restricted to arid climates such as the Hanford Site) where drums are stored underground but shielded from direct soil contact by a tarp or other means. …

Effectiveness and efficiency of software development can be greatly increased by writing modularized code using informal (styles) and formal (standards) work approaches. Software development is about connecting pieces into a coherent whole. Thus consistent work approaches provide a structure that allows individuals and teams to minimize the time and thought put into making these connections. These investments in structure return even more benefits in the maintenance phase when old code has to be examined by new programmers, or after time has passed. We present some examples of coding style for Avenue: a simplified form of Hungarian notation (notationHungarian, stringCustomerName, etc.), script naming prefixes and suffixes, and options in script headers. We demonstrate several modular, object-like utility scripts that can be used alone or combined into other utilities. These include developer tools such as a System.Echo substitute for Windows, a Window inspector, and a script for detecting and dealing with multiple display resolutions.

A small user friendly, light-weight, field hardened, computer controlled device for performing infrared spectroscopic analysis, with high sensitivity of trace contamination on surfaces, has recently been defined by Lockheed Martin Energy Systems, Inc. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration at Marshall Space Flight Center, Alabama (NASA/MSFC) initiated a development contract to field a production model of this device with Surface Optics Corporation, San Diego, California in order to certify the sandblasted inner surface of solid rocket motor casings to be free of both hydrocarbon grease and silicone oils at levels approaching 1 milligram per square foot. Through contracts with Lockheed Martin Energy Systems, Inc., the Army acquired a prototype of this instrument, which was used for optimizing the performance with respect to detecting trace organic contamination on sandblasted metal surfaces. That prototype has since been upgraded to incorporate the refinements discovered in its use, and is presently being field tested by the Army at the Corpus Christi Army Depot (CCAD). Referred to as a surface inspection machine-infrared (SIMIR or SOC 400), this device employs a miniature Fourier transform Infrared spectrometer (FTIRS) with very efficient diffuse reflectance optics to provide reflectance spectra of surfaces measured relative to some reference surface. These …

It is difficult at best to apply a single methodology for estimating cost uncertainties related to technologies of differing maturity. While highly mature technologies may have significant performance and manufacturing cost data available, less well developed technologies may be defined in only conceptual terms. Regardless of the degree of technical maturity, often a cost estimate relating to application of the technology may be required to justify continued funding for development. Yet, a cost estimate without its associated uncertainty lacks the information required to assess the economic risk. For this reason, it is important for the developer to provide some type of uncertainty along with a cost estimate. This study demonstrates how different methodologies for estimating uncertainties can be applied to cost estimates for technologies of different maturities. For a less well developed technology an uncertainty analysis of the cost estimate can be based on a sensitivity analysis; whereas, an uncertainty analysis of the cost estimate for a well developed technology can be based on an error propagation technique from classical statistics. It was decided to demonstrate these uncertainty estimation techniques with (1) an investigation of the additional cost of remediation due to beyond baseline, nearly complete, waste heel retrieval from …

This paper summarizes the conversion status of research and test reactors in the United States from the use of fuels containing highly- enriched uranium (HEU, greater than or equal to 20%) to the use of fuels containing low-enriched uranium (LEU, < 20%). Estimates of the uranium densities required for conversion are made for reactors with power levels greater than or equal to 1 MW that are not currently involved in the LEU conversion process.

Between 1965 and 1988, 16 naval reactor vessels were dumped in the Arctic Kara Sea. Six of the vessels contained spent nuclear fuel that had been damaged during accidents. In addition, a container holding {approximately} 60% of the damaged fuel from the No. 2 reactor of the atomic icebreaker Lenin was dumped in 1967. Before dumping, the vessels were filled with a solidification agent, Conservant F, in order to prevent direct contact between the seawater and the fuel and other activated components, thereby reducing the potential for release of radionuclides into the environment. The key ingredient in Conservant F is furfural (furfuraldehyde). Other constituents vary, depending on specific property requirements, but include epoxy resin, mineral fillers, and hardening agents. In the liquid state (prior to polymerization) Conservant F is a low viscosity, homogeneous resin blend that provides long work times (6--9 hours). In the cured state, Conservant F provides resistance to water and radiation, has high adhesion properties, and results in minimal gas evolution. This paper discusses the properties of Conservant F in both its cured and uncured states and the potential performance of the waste packages containing spent nuclear fuel in the Arctic Kara Sea.

Diagnostics have been developed and fielded at the Nova laser facility that image scattered light in the vicinity of the final laser focusing lens. The absolute calibration of optical components exposed to the target debris have been achieved by a combination of routine in situ calibration and maintenance. The scattering observed from plasmas relevant to ignition experiments indicates that light scattered just outside the lens can be larger than that collected by the lens, and is a significant factor in the energy balance when the f number is high.

There are several goals for the neutron source strength monitor system for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). Desired is a stable, reliable, time-dependent neutron detection system which exhibits a wide dynamic range and broad energy response to incident neutrons while being insensitive to gamma rays and having low noise characteristics in a harsh reactor environment. This system should be able to absolutely calibrated in-situ using various neutron sources. An array of proportional counters of varying sensitivities is proposed along with the most promising possible locations. One proposed location is in the pre-shields of the neutron camera collimators which would allow an integrated design of neutron systems with good detector access. As part of an ongoing conceptual design for this system, the detector-specific issues of dynamic range, performance monitoring, and sensitivity will be presented. The location options of the array will be discussed and most importantly, the calibration issues associated with a heavily shielded vessel will be presented.

The authors discuss, with illustrations drawn from the simple example of a dielectric grating under total internal reflection illumination, the use of electric field, energy density and Poynting vector as tools for understanding phenomena associated with dielectric gratings. The electric field has greatest direct observational interest, and exhibits patterns of nodes and antinodes that are both expected and intuitive. The energy density, though not directly linked with photoelectric response, has readily understood global patterns. The Poynting vector has more elaborate structure, involving patterns of curls, but the patterns are sensitive to small changes in illumination angle or groove depth. Plots of Poynting vectors may not be as useful for dielectric structures as they are for metals.

The production of a variable array of optical point sources from a single point source can be achieved through the self-imaging properties inherent in a rectangular waveguide. Two prototype devices, based upon this concept, were designed and constructed. The resulting output patterns are discussed along with future design considerations and applications.

The problem of efficiently performing transformations from geocentric to geodetic coordinates has been addressed at previous DIS (Distributed Interactive Simulation) workshops. This paper extends the work presented at the 14th DIS Workshop. As a consequence of the new algorithm for geocentric to geodetic coordinate conversion, a subsequent conversion to Universal Transverse Mercator coordinates is made considerably more efficient. No additional trigonometric or square root evaluations are required and accuracy is not degraded.